Click for watches or other mechanisms.



' No. 764,885. PATENTED JULY 12, 1904.

J I F. R. CUNNINGHAM. CLICK FOR WATCHES OR OTHER MECHANISMS.

APPLICATION FILED 1253.3, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT Patented July 12, 1904:.

OEEicE.

FRANK R. CUNNINGHAM, OF MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO BIGELOl/V,KENNARD & 00., OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A FIRM.

CLICK FOR WATCHES OR OTHER MECHANISMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,885, dated July 12,1904. Application filed February 3,1904. Serial No. 191,889. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK R. CUNNINGHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Medford, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Clicks for Watches orother Mechanism Where Recoil is Desirable, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to clicks for watches and other mechanism where aslight recoil of the spring or other motive power is desired at thetermination of winding.

In watches where the winding-wheel is provided with an ordinaryretaining pawl or click the point of which engages the wheeltangentially or considerably off the line of centers it frequentlyhappens that the click enters a notch in the wheel at the extreme limitof the winding of the spring, in which case there is no recoil.Consequently undue strain is put upon the train at that time, which isproductive of an abnormally large vibration of the balance, which mightresult in irregularity of rate or even breakage of some of the declicateparts of the mechanism.

My invention has for its object to overcome these difliculties byproviding means whereby a sufficient amount of recoil of the spring orother motor is insured at the termination of winding. I attain thisobject by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is an enlarged plan of a portion of the winding-wheel ofa watch, its click and parts immediately adjacent thereto embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a similar plan showing the position of the parts atthe time when the click is about to pass from one tooth to the next.Fig. 3 is amodification showing the click with a plurality of points.

In the said drawings, A represents a portion of a watch-plate, and B aportion of the winding or ratchet wheel connected with the motive power.

O is the retaining-click, which is pivoted to the plate A at a, thepoint of said click when at rest standing normally at or near the lineof centers of the said wheel and the clickpivot.

D is a block which is secured to or may form a part of the plate A, saidblock forming a stop for arresting the backward movement of said clickwith its point at or near the line of centers.

7) is a spring the free end of which is adapt- 5 5 ed to act on theclick as the latter is moved forward toward the position shown in Fig. 2in the operation of winding, the spring then serving to maintain thepoint of the click in contact with the teeth of the wheel as they 0 passthereunder.

At the termination of the winding the click O is carried back by thewheel B from about the position shown in Fig. 2 into contact with thestop D, as shown in Fig. 1, thus insuring 5 the necessary recoil of thewheel B, and thereby obviating the injurious efl'ects incident to theuse of the ordinary click.

In Fig. 3 is represented a modification of my invention in which theclick is provided 7 with a plurality of points and which I prefer toemploy where the wheel B has very small teeth or where greater strengthis required.

Although my invention is particularly adapt- 7 5 ed for watches andclocks, it is obvious that it may be employed to advantagein anymechanism where a recoil of a ratchet-wheel is desired.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to 30 secure by Letters Patent,is

l. The combination with a toothed wheel, of a retaining-click normallyengaging said wheel at or near the line of centers of said wheel and theclick-pivot, and a stop separate 5 from and acting upon said clicklimiting its movement in a backward direction.

2. The combination with a toothed wheel, of a retaining-click having aplurality of points, said click normally engaging said wheel 9 at ornear the line of centers, and a stop separate from and acting upon saidclick limiting its movement in a backward direction.

3. The combination with a toothed wheel,

of a retaining-click normally engaging said wheel at or near the line ofcenters, a stop separate from and-acting upon said click limiting itsmovement in a backward direction, and a spring for actuating said click.

4. The combination with a recoil Windingwheel, of a retaining click orpawl pivoted to a fixed part and normally engaging the wheel at or nearthe line of centers, astop on 10 said fixed part in the rearward path ofthe click or pawl and a spring extending from said stop and engaging theclick or pawl to hold it against the wheel.

Witness my hand this 29th day of January, A. D. 1904.

FRANK I R. CUNNINGHAM.

In presence of P. E. TESCHEMACHER,

A. B. coma.

